Chanukah – Vegan Doughnuts

Oily foods such as doughnuts are traditionally eaten during Chanukah. The oil for cooking the latkes is reminiscent of the oil that miraculously kept the Second Temple’s Ner Tamid lamp lit with its continuously-burning flame. Many doughnut recipes contain egg but this one is completely vegan. While egg replacer can be used if preferred, the recipe suggests the use of flaxseeds (which may be easier to get hold of) to retain the traditional airy doughnut texture.

Proof the yeast by mixing it with half (60 ml) of the warm water and allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Melt the margarine in a saucepan along with the remaining (60 ml) warm water. Add the sugar and whisk until it is dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool a bit.

Combine the warm soya milk with the yeast mixture. Add the flaxseed and water (or egg replacer), flour and salt. Add the sugar mixture and mix.

Turn the dough out onto a flat surface and knead it until it is smooth – approx. 5 minutes. You may need to add a little more flour but make sure the consistency is soft and not too heavy.

Coat the bowl with oil, return the dough to the bowl, and cover the bowl with cling film or a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise for about an hour.

Remove the risen dough from the bowl and roll it out to form a sheet that is about a 1/2 inch thick. Cut out doughnut shapes using a round drinking glass. When you’ve cut out all the doughnuts you can, roll out the remaining dough and use this to form more doughnuts.

Put the doughnuts on baking paper, cover them with a tea towel, and let them rise for an hour, preferably in a warm airing cupboard. If you don’t have an airing cupboard, they will still be OK at normal room temperature.

Near the end of the rising time, heat up the oil in a deep saucepan.

Drop the doughnuts into the hot oil and cook them until they rise to the surface and turn light brown. Roll them over. Cooking takes about a minute or two. Take them out fast using a wooden spoon or metal strainer.

Drain the doughnuts on kitchen paper.

Toss the doughnuts with sugar.

Fill a pastry bag with jam and fit the bag with a pastry tip. Insert the tip into each doughnut and squeeze in the jam.

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